


the dog between us

by pragmatic



Category: The 100
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-30 02:09:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16755844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pragmatic/pseuds/pragmatic
Summary: “She’s adorable!” Clarke exclaimed, immediately stooping down to cup the pitbull’s face and stare lovingly into her eyes. “What’s her name?”“Cerberus.” Bellamy said, only half embarrassed.“I thought that was typically a boy name.”He shrugged. “Everything can be gender neutral with the right mindset.”





	the dog between us

**Author's Note:**

> i literally dont know how to write anymore so. good luck reading this

Being friends with Bellamy Blake was—a challenge, to say the least. Not only did he have a terrible and irritating habit of disagreeing with her on everything and anything, he was also incredibly attractive. Therefore, it wasn’t very often that he was without another girl, making it extremely difficult for Clarke to come to terms with her feelings, let alone act upon them.

Their friendship did increase significantly, however, when Bellamy decided to adopt a puppy from the shelter down the street.

“She’s adorable!” Clarke exclaimed, immediately stooping down to cup the pitbull’s face and stare lovingly into her eyes. “What’s her name?”

“Cerberus.” Bellamy said, only half embarrassed. After a moment, he too slid to the floor.

“I thought that was typically a boy name.”

He shrugged. “Everything can be gender neutral with the right mindset.”

Cerberus yipped, sticking her butt in the air and wagging her tail. Clarke mimicked her, letting a growl form deep in her throat. Cerberus only yapped more insistently, deciding to dive for Clarke’s hand as the victim of her attack.

Bellamy laughed. “She seems to be good with people.”

This unfortunately reminded Clarke a certain person in particular, and she did her best to keep her voice even. “Has she met Echo yet?”

“No. Echo actually doesn’t know that I got her yet, she’ll find out when she gets—“

And as if her ears had begun to burn, Echo burst through the door, with as much grace as a newborn foal. She flung her boots from her feet in such a manner of aggression, Clarke was genuinely concerned she would be knocked unconscious.

When she had finished dirtying the entrance, she finally noticed the two of them splayed across the kitchen floor, with a wriggly fur ball sitting between them.

“Home,” Bellamy finished, then smiled. “Hi, honey. How was your day?”

Echo seemed to be almost immediately disgusted by the sight of Cerberus, which wasn’t at all fair. Cerberus hadn’t even had a chance to pee on her in excitement.

“It looks like something followed you home, Bellamy.” She stepped over them, not greeting Clarke, which was expected, and began making a coffee. She pointedly did not offer to make anyone else a coffee.

Bellamy picked the puppy up, staring her in the face. “I think it may have had something to do with the leash.”

Clarke stood, brushing off her pants. “I better get back to the studio, I’ll see you guys tonight. Bye, Cerberus!”

As she closed the door, she a heard a distinct snort and, “Cerberus? Really?”

Clarke had many opinions, most of which she didn’t care to keep to herself. But thinking that Echo was a bitch wasn’t that—it was simply fact. One everyone in their friend group seemed to have learned, except Bellamy.

The couple met about four months ago, and had started dating nearly three months ago. Coincidentally, Clarke’s urge to gouge her own eyes out had also begun around that time.

“If this was a rom-com,” She muttered, pulling out her phone as she stepped into the elevator. “Cerberus would lead a series of hijinks and save us all.”

Alas, it appeared that Cerberus would be returning to the pound before any hijinks could ensue.

***

Inevitably, everyone fell in love with Bellamy’s new companion. Cooing, clucking, laughing delightedly when Cerberus showed signs of wanting to be their friend as well.

Bellamy, it seemed, had been right—Cerberus loved people. Strangers on the street, neighbours in their building, the Creepy Coffee Shop Guy; she adored them all—except Echo.

If Echo even attempted to hold her leash for more than a second, Cerberus would nip at her ankles until Bellamy took it back. If Echo offered her food, Cerberus refused, and would then accept the exact same food from someone else. And shit, if Echo dared to go near Bellamy—Cerberus showed her with great haste that it was a bad idea.

The funniest part, and perhaps the most wonderful, was the fact that Cerberus absolutely adored Clarke. If she was in the room, the puppy was glued to her side the entire duration she was there, and continued to whine longingly when she left.

Clarke could do no wrong, while Echo could do no right.

Clarke, obviously, was completely over the moon, and felt the universe was finally giving her a well deserved win.

It was about time.

***

Her cellphone rang, and she groaned, not wanting to unbury herself from the mountain of blankets she was currently nestled under. Flailing, she finally grasped her phone from where it had been sitting on the coffee table.

“Hello?” She was embarrassingly out of breath.

“Hey,” Bellamy said. “are you doing anything right now?”

Her marathon of Kate Hudson movies was immediately forgotten. “Not in the slightest.”

“Great! Do you think you could look after Cerberus for a few hours? Echo wants to—“

“Absolutely.” She had no interest in hearing what Echo wanted. “Should I pick her up?”

“Uh—no. No, I can drop her off at your place. Are you there now?”

She glanced at the dirty dishes covering the living space, and frowned. “I just got in, actually. Anytime is good.”

“This is really great, Clarke. I’ll see you in fifteen.”

She hung up, and flung herself from her nest, piling dishes and stacking cups—managing to only break one in the process. She shoved them into the dishwasher, and ran to her bedroom. She peeled off her hoodie, exchanging it for a soft peach blouse and a pair of leggings.

She had just finished fluffing her hair when the door bell rang. Her heartbeat quadrupled, beating much faster than what was probably healthy.

She opened the door, and her face immediately fell. “Echo. Hi.”

Echo deposited Cerberus into her arms like she had a disease. “Bellamy should have texted you what you need to do, but I frankly don’t care. Wait until we get home if you need anything.” She reached in, closing the door herself.

After she had managed to actually register her words, Clarke sighed. “Well. Guess it’s just you and me, buddy.”

Cerberus looked positively delighted.

She set the puppy down on the floor, unhooking her leash. “What shall we have for dinner... some chicken? Maybe after we’ll go for a walk?”

Cerberus yipped, and Clarke acted as if it was a decipherable reply. “Yes, through the park _would_ be lovely. I completely agree.”

By the end of the evening, Clarke and Cerberus had curled up together on the couch, both nodding away to the sounds of _Friends_ in the background.

They both jolted upright at the sound of the door however.

Bellamy was letting himself in, apparently attempting to be quiet, but Cerberus wasn’t having it. She jumped up and down, barking and howling like Clarke didn’t have neighbours that would be complaining about this later.

“Hi, girl. Hi, hi, yes, hi. I missed you, too. Yes, hi. I also can’t believe I didn’t die.” Bellamy cooed, falling to his knees and batting her gently around with his palms.

Finally, once they had had an adequate reunion, he stood, Cerberus in his arms. “Thanks again, Clarke. I hope she wasn’t too much trouble.”

She rolled her eyes as she handed over her leash. “You know she wasn’t. We had a great time.”

He ducked his head in a smile. “Good. Coffee tomorrow? To pay you back?”

“Sure. See you then.”

“See you then,” He began backing away, waving Cerberus’ paw. “Bye, Clarke!”

She waved back, watching contently as they stepped into the elevator.

“You’re in deep, Griffin.” She chastised herself, not even trying to keep the smile off her face.

***

The next day, Clarke felt like she was getting ready for a date. Which was not only unhealthy, but entirely untrue.

“It’s kind of true.” Raven said, flopping onto Clarke’s bed. 

“It is not.” She turned back to her mirror. “He feels obligated because I babysat his dog last night.”

“I don’t know, most people would just pay you and be done with it.”

She made eye contact through the mirror. “He has a girlfriend.”

“He won’t for long. Especially when he’s taking you out for coffee all the time.”

Clarke gasped, spinning around and throwing her mascara at Raven as if it were a dart. “I would never.”

Raven stood, spinning the mascara around in her hands. “People not going on dates don’t take two hours to get ready, either.”

Clarke threw her hands in the air, exasperated. “It’s not a date!”

But Raven had already left the room, humming a tune and all around not giving a fuck.

“It’s not a date.” She said, more to remind herself than to make a point.

At the coffee shop, Bellamy had already saved her a seat, and ordered her favourite drink. “Iced Chai latte with almond milk and half sugar?”

Bellamy grinned. “And a compostable straw I brought from home.” He presented it to her with flourish as she sat down.

She took a sip, nearly moaning. “Fuck, that’s good.”

He hid his smiled behind his own drink—medium coffee, two sugars, no cream—and looked around the room.

“Do you ever wish you could redo a day?”

She frowned. “I think that’s a common feeling with most people, yes.”

“No, no, no.” He shook his head, leaning forward in his seat. “I mean the good ones. Do you ever want to relive them? To feel those things again?”

Her heartbeat kicked up. “Of course. All the time.”

He sat back, a satisfied smile gracing his lips. “I remember the first time I came into this coffee shop, there was a blonde girl in the line ahead of me. She had already ordered about five drinks, and it seemed like she wasn’t done yet. I, being an easily annoyed asshole at the time, was pissed. She must have sensed it because she turned around, and asked what I was planning on ordering. I told her, and she added it to her own list. She turned back around, and smiled at me. She said that it was her boss’ card, and apologized for holding up the line.”

Flashes of a guy with a goatee and a nearly buzzed head popped into her head. “We’ve met before?”

Bellamy nodded. “When Octavia introduced us again, you obviously didn’t recognize me, so I decided to save myself the embarrassment and pretend I didn’t either.”

She shook her head. “I was working at the hospital, as an intern. Getting coffee was basically all I did.”

“Glad now you’ve at least added painting to your schedule.”

She laughed, letting the moment sit between them. She stared at her drink, swirling around the ice inside. “What are the chances, we’d become such good friends.”

He smirked. “I guess fate knows what she’s doing.”

***

Clarke’s life seemed to be running seamlessly. Her friends were happy, she was happy, her boss was happy—it appeared that there was nothing that could bring her down.

Until, Bellamy asked her to come over for a talk—and he actually sounded serious about it.

“Is something wrong?” She asked, toeing off her shoes at the threshold.

Bellamy didn’t answer, which only sent her heart galloping even faster than it had been before. He led her into the living room, gesturing to the couch. She noticed that both Cerberus and Echo were nowhere to be found, and suddenly she knew what was coming.

“Did she really make you pick?” It was phrased as a question, but her voice was deadpan.

Bellamy stared at the cushion between them. “Not in the way you think. First, she asked me to find another home for Cerberus, and when I said no, she gave me an ultimatum.”

“Me or her.” Her voice was so quiet, and she found herself looking at the cushion as well.

Her throat burned, and she swallowed relentlessly all the way to the door. Bellamy followed, apologizing, but Clarke could barely hear him. He chose Echo, and that was all she needed to know.

“Bellamy. It’s fine—you did what you had to do. I understand.” She reached for the handle, just as it sprung open, revealing Echo and Cerberus on the other side.

Clarke sighed. “I was just leaving,” and pushed past the pair, one grinning and one whimpering.

Bellamy tried to step out after her. “Clarke—“

“Bellamy.” Echo’s voice was shrill, a steady but iron hand on his chest.

Clarke didn’t allow the tears to escape until she was safe and locked inside the confines of her car.

***

“Was he always this much of an asshole? Or does she bring it out in him?” Raven asked, biting into a carrot.

Clarke didn’t even lift her head from the counter. “Unfortunately, I think it’s a little bit of both.”

“I’m sorry, babe.” Raven patted her head,  an affectionate and welcome gesture.

“It’s fine,” she sighed, slumping into the living room. “I kind of understand.”

“Then you’re a better person than I.”

“He was always going to lose one of us.” She rubbed her nose on her sleeve. “I just can’t believe he chose to lose me.”

Raven folded herself onto the couch, looking up through her lashes. “Do you think some alcohol poisoning would help?”

Clarke snorted. “It certainly couldn’t hurt.”

***

Normally, their preferred bar would be Grounders, but Clarke wasn’t in the mood for laid back and cozy. She was in the mood for a couple hundred bodies to be pressed up against her own, to be invisible within the mass.

For that, they went to Mount Weather.

Clarke had squeezed herself into a tight black dress, with grey lines running vertically down it. It had thin straps, and a low neck line that made her walk a little taller.

Inside Mount Weather, she and Raven immediately downed about three shots each, and headed out onto the dance floor. They started with dancing against each other, and slowly moved away, finding more unfamiliar bodies to explore.

After about three songs of sweaty grinding, Clarke made her way back to the bar, ordering two more shots. She smiled, feeling—nothing.

And that was the plan.

Deeper into the night, she found herself in the line for the bathroom, talking to a brunette girl about gun policies. She was cute, but had mentioned a boyfriend earlier, so Clarke would settle for intellectual stimulation for now.

Just as the conversation was getting interesting, Clarke felt a hand on her arm, and found herself looking up into a familiar pair of warm brown eyes.

“Bellamy. What are you doing here?”

He was out of breath, and seemingly a little drunk himself. “I wanted to check on you.”

Sam—was that her name?—seemed to sense the tension and took her turn inside the bathroom.

She yanked her arm out of his grasp. “I’m fine. Thanks.”

“Clarke—can we talk? Please, I—“

“I think actions speak louder than words, don’t they? And your actions have clearly stated that you don’t want me in your life.”

He shook his head vigorously. “No, no, that’s not true. There’s nothing I want more—“

She spun to face him. “Have you broken up with Echo, then?”

He shook his head, and she almost swore she felt her heart tear itself in half for the second time that month. “Clarke, I made a mistake.”

She felt herself losing it. She missed Bellamy so much she thought she might burst into tears right there, the alcohol was messing with her head. Was she really mad at him? Was she really willing to sacrifice his apology for her pride?

Her head was spinning. “I need—I don’t feel good—“ she began to pitch to one side, but Bellamy caught her, pulling her out of line—which she would be pissed about later—and guided her to the wall.

He was still holding her steady. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have crashed your night, I should have just waited until tomorrow.”

But Clarke didn’t feel angry anymore. All she could see was the light reflecting off Bellamy’s curls, the soft way he was looking at her, and the slight part of his lips.

She lunged upwards, connecting their mouths so hard it almost hurt. He immediately embraced her, turning them so she was pressed against the wall. He licked into her, a low moan resounding in his throat. Clarke dug her nails into his back at the sound.

But then her brain finally caught up with her actions, and she shoved him away. A mix of regret and shame curled in her stomach, and she gave him one last searing look before forcing her way back into the crowd.

She assumed he was calling her name, but she couldn’t hear it over what she was calling herself. _Whore_ , _home_ _wrecker_ , _slut_ —what had she done?

She found Raven, telling her she was taking an Uber home, but there was no need to worry.

She didn’t see Bellamy again for two weeks.

***

There was a firm knock, loud enough to wake her from her afternoon nap. She stumbled up from the couch, not thinking to check who it was first.

She opened the door to see those same brown eyes, but instead of being warm, they were outlined in a dull blood red.

Bellamy’s hair was tousled in a way that she knew wasn’t messy on purpose, and the bags hung from his eyes like they were actually heavy, bringing him down with them. “Can I come in?”

She stayed where she was. “I don’t think that’s a very good idea.”

He looked to the ceiling, then back at her. “Please, Clarke.”

Her resolve flickered, then faded away entirely. She stepped back, allowing him to come inside.

He followed her to the living room, and they each sat at opposite ends of the couch.

“I broke up with Echo.”

She didn’t look at him, and he continued. “I told her what happened, and then I guess she broke up with me.”

_Whore_ , _home_ _wrecker_ , _slut_. “So you broke up because of me.”

He moved closer. “Yes, but not in the way you think. Clarke—I should have broken up with Echo a long time ago. She didn’t love me, she didn’t make me laugh, she wasn’t good for me—not like you are.”

She snapped her eyes to his, looking for the punchline, but she saw only absolute honestly written across his face.

Her eyes filled with tears. “Bellamy...” her voice was scarcely above a whisper.

Slowly, he closed the space between them, and pressed his lips to hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his lap. He let his hands wander up and down her back, sending chills flying across her body.

She broke the kiss, leaning her forehead against his. “You’re good for me, too.”

He smiled, and kissed her again, and again. He pressed her into the couch and didn’t stop kissing her until their mouths were both swollen and they were out of breath.

He grinned. “Cerberus is going to be delighted.”

She nodded, faking seldomness. “Her opinion is really the only one that matters anyways.”


End file.
